


Prologue in the Crater

by junonreactor



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Diary/Journal, Gen, Jenova Project, Jewish Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 10:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20776769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junonreactor/pseuds/junonreactor
Summary: A view inside Gast's expedition. Not DoC compliant.





	Prologue in the Crater

\--/--/----

One of the climbing guides died today, going up the cliff. The other climber says that he cut his own rope, that he didn't even notice until the line behind him went slack, started whipping loose in the wind. Maybe he got too cold, got confused. People here aren't asking questions and Gast says we aren't going to either. The window to get up the cliff is brief and now we're down one guide, plus all the gear he took with him down to the bottom. An odd incident, bad news for the expedition. Gast asked, again, if I still insisted on coming -- absurd question is what I told him, again.

\--/--/----

Horrible constant wind, katabatic maybe??? Inclusions of crystalline mako in shock fractures increase as we ascend. The geologist, Dr. Th-----, is excited. Very cold, despite best equipment.

\--/--/----

Near top. Too cold to write.

\--/--/----

Inside the crater itself is much warmer, a blessing. We can see down into the central formation, a mako fountain unlike any other on the planet. We inferred something like this might be up here, but seeing it with our own eyes -- it is beautiful. Would have stayed up all hours watching but everyone is exhausted and tomorrow we have to start climbing down in. Should be easier, I hope.

\--/--/----

"Earning my keep" after all as there are organisms here, microdrachidae & kobolids mostly. Few, mean, and scrawny ones if i must say so. Most areas this rich in mako have higher diversity but the conditions here are perhaps too arid & cold. Got some hair and scale samples and needed a potion for my troubles.

More wind, a different kind. Slow going from it. Gives me and the geologist some time to take better notes while Gast tries to figure out the best way thru. Got to hold on tight to my papers though.

\--/--/----

We found something big. Can't write, everyone urgently needed to help excavate.

\--/--/----

It's a fossil(?) in crystalline mako(?) Center of the crater, impeccable preservation. Adult (?) female (?) humanoid (?) imbedded in ~2.5m crystal. At least 2kya according to the geologist, slightly younger than the crater itself. Gast says it must be an Ancient, maybe placed here intentionally as a religious ritual. I couldn't listen really with that thing right there. It is so well preserved it is like it is still alive. Very, very interesting, unique features that need much more study before conclusions should be drawn. It could take years. 

It is -- beautiful!!!

\--/--/----

weather conditions on the cliff are expected to deteriorate and we have to leave NOW. everyone ditched nonessentials and all our other samples to help carry it out. no complaints here. we still have our notes,& we have it.

\--/--/----

Back in Icicle.

The geologist died coming down the cliff. The wind gusted when we were lowering it and it just smashed his head in. Gast is writing the accident report. It could have been any one of us.

Horrible to say, but at least it is undamaged. Something unprecedented like this, that could change our understanding of mako, of archaeology, & biology, is worth our lives.

\--/--/1975

We need to get it stabilized, probably in a reactor, and we need more people.

Too busy to think of a good way to tell Gast his name for the thing is nonsense, like G-d and pigeon* got in a fight. He finds meaning in naming it. I will find meaning in getting a decent genetic sequence out of it.

L. Crescent

**Author's Note:**

> *the word she's referencing is yonah (יונה)


End file.
